Chabot Urges Review of SBA Export Grants

House Small Business Committee Chair Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) last week reached out to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a review of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of International Trade’s (OIT) State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant Program. In his letter, Chabot cited, ”…concerns that SBA officials may be misusing funds for international travel under the banner of the agencies export promotion activities.”

Chabot also urged the GAO to examine the STEP program’s importance to various state export budgets and how states compare in how they use the STEP funds. The STEP program provides grant money to states to provide expanded export assistance to small businesses through participation in trade missions, foreign market sales trips, design of international marketing campaigns, export trade show exhibits, and so on.